As Heard on The Stephanie Miller Show

Friday, January 05, 2007

A Loose-Knit Band Called Patriot Guard Riders, Help Families of Dead Soliders Make a Long, Hard Journey

By GINA SUNSERI

Jan. 4, 2007— - In August 2005, as the casualties from theIraq War started to increase, an isolated church group began to gather andprotest at the funerals of soldiers.

Their demonstrations had nothing to do with the particular soldiers who haddied, but surviving family members, overwhelmed by grief, were horrified whenthe protestors disrupted a funeral. The protests made no sense to them.

After hearing about the incident, a small group of motorcycle riders from theAmerican Legion in Kansas vowed to do all it could to shield the families of thefallen. As the casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan rose, their mission expandedfrom a shield to a powerful presence honoring the soldiers killed in action andtheir families. The small group became the Patriot Guard Riders, and each monthits numbers swelled.

Its presence is important to people like Lloyd Morris. Morris just buried his21-year-old son, Marine Lance Corp. Stephen Morris, who was killed in Iraq onChristmas Eve when a bomb blew up his vehicle in the Anbar Province.

The Morris family lives in Lake Jackson, Texas, a small, close-knit communitywhose residents embraced the Morris family when word spread of Stephen's death.Flags and yellow ribbons lined the street to their home, and well-wishersoffered food, comfort and prayers.

Lloyd Morris prayed for his son's return home. "I felt like the Lord wasgoing to bring him home, only not the way I expected. It's dawned on me a littlebit that I've lost my son, but I don't think it's dawned on me yet," he said, intrying to explain his state of mind.

Crowds of Bikers Come Out to Support Iraq Troops

The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse group. Men and women, young and old,teachers and tugboat pilots join to honor the fallen.

There are veterans like Richard Ford, aka "Boomer," who served during theVietnam War. "Most of the guys out here are vets themselves that have been inVietnam, Korea, we've got some from WWII that show up. We've got 'em from DesertStorm and all the wars that we've been in, they're all here," Fordsaid.

Boomer said the response was different when he came home from Vietnam in the'70s, and he had the impression that nobody was providing support for thetroops.

"We'd come home and it'd be like we were almost invisible. Either that orwe'd walk out of a building and there'd be people walking up and down thestreets with banners, posters, boards, yelling, sometimes throwing things," hesaid.

Morris was grateful when Boomer and his fellow Patriot Guard Riders showed upto honor his son. "It was an honor to have them," Morris said. "I knew a numberof them. It was very, very, very encouraging. A number of 'em came over and gaveme hugs.

"I think it was people caring that my wife has made it, through theirprayers," he said about the presence of the bikers. "There was a number of days,a couple of days, she didn't feel like even getting up, she felt like dying. Isaid to her, look at the [headlights] behind us, just a sea oflights."

Sometimes dozens of riders show up, sometimes hundreds. Many use up theirvacation days to attend as many funerals as possible. They may max out theirgasoline credit cards, but they have vowed to honor each and every fallensoldier.

At first, the sight of these burly bikers had some, like Marine Col. GregBoyd, Stephen Morris's commanding officer, wondering who these bikers were andwhy they were at the funerals.

"I had a misperception about them when I first saw them. I didn't know whatto expect," he said. "But after I got a chance to … see them in action, talk tothem and meet them, shake their hands, I know their hearts are in the rightplace. Nothing could stop them from being there."

Morris said Stephen would have loved to see all the riders. He praised thegroup for offering comfort in his time of need.

"They walked up to me, told me they loved me and cared about me. Didn'tunderstand what I was going through, but they loved me," he said.

'It Was Amazing'

Tanner Ford's twin brother, Cody, was killed in Iraq last month. He wantedthe Patriot Guard Riders at his brother's funeral, and he was overwhelmed by theresponse.

"I was pretty astonished. I thought it was going to be six or seven guys thatwould come. Twenty or 30 of them showed up. And it was amazing. They were realrespectful, and they all stood at attention the entire funeral holding theflags.They just know the sacrifice," Ford said. "I think that's the biggestlesson I learned. It doesn't matter if you're for or against the war, or for oragainst the president"

Rider Benjamin Guzman said it was important to him to be there because he,too, was a father. "I have a son, on his third tour in Iraq now, and those twoboys right there are my sons, and I don't want to do this for them."

One rider on his way home stopped and pulled up next to Boyd. He said therider told him, "I am sending my boy to you in a month. I want you to take careof him." Boyd responded, "I will. Semper Fi."

One of the people participating, Kelly "Mustang" Mason, works 30 days on as atugboat pilot, then gets 30 days off. He spends his days off honoring as manysoldiers and families as possible.

"To see the families, the grief, and then to see their eyes light up whenthey see the Patriot Guard Riders standing there, holding up American flags,"said Mason about the most rewarding part of his trips. "People they have nevermet, and may never meet again. It just means so much to me that I cannot see notgoing to every mission that I possibly can. I do hope this ends soon. We'retired of burying our sons and daughters."

Boyd said he understands why they do this. "I think for the Patriot GuardRiders it is love of country. That's really what I think is in their heart, theyreally want to honor this country.

"People stop their cars and get out, put their hand over their heart, stopwhat they're doing and pay attention," said Boyd. "They'll remember that whenthey read it in the paper. Tomorrow it'll be about Lance Corp. Stephen Morris.And they'll know that that's him, that he's gone by. And I don't think they'dprobably know that if they didn't see those Patriot Guard Riders and all thoseflags."

What this ABC story does not tell you is the group that was protesting. Fred Phelps and his odious Westboro Baptist Church has turned on these heroes in an insane belief that protesting thier deaths protest IED bombings, one that hit thier church.

To show you what inspired these brave Americans to stand up and protect the families of the fallen, her is a snippet direct from WBC.

These are insane people.

And here is Fred's Butt-Ugly Daughter.....

If you were offended by this, I am sorry, but I had to show what these families had to endure at the gravesites of thier fallen loved-ones whenever these heartless monsters appeared.

And if there are any members of the WBC there, check out my profile. I would consider you at my funeral as a badge of honor. That. by your "sendoff" you show your ignorance.

And on that final day when God does bring us all up for judgment, I know I may have much to answer for. So will you Freddie Boy. And trust me, whatever God has planned for me, Heaven or not, will be Valhalla compared to the exquisite agony awaiting you and your Westboro followers.

You see, I don't God hates vain, check the decolouges in the Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant holy books. Any hatred of homosexuals or solidiers may be open to debate, but how He feels about what you have to and in His name is quiet clear.

In short, don't plan on taking any winter clothes, you son of a bitch.